The Exodus. Day 102, Priestly Garments: The Ephod And The Weight Of The Stones On Its Shoulders

Our current chapter discusses the garments of the high priest. Today we're looking at a garment called the "ephod" and for reference I'm including an artist's representation below to help us picture what this piece of clothing may have looked like. It is the colorful, apron-like garment worn over top of the robe and tunic.

"Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen----the work of skilled hands." (Exodus 28:6) Except for the gold thread the material of the high priest's ephod matches the material of the tabernacle curtains. Many priests will serve at the tabernacle and later at the temple but only the high priest wears this particular garment.

"It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened." (Exodus 28:7) If you've ever worn overalls or jumpers you'll see the similarity in the design between those garments and the ephod. It has to have shoulder straps to hold it onto the priest's body.

The high priest's ephod is to fasten around his waist as well. "Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it---of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen." (Exodus 28:8) The belt is made of the same material as the rest of the garment.

"Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth---six on one stone and the remaining six on the other." (Exodus 28:9-10) You can see these stones on the shoulders of the ephod in the illustration above. I don't know whether these stones were used as buttons to fasten the shoulder straps together or whether they were just attached to the outer portion of the straps. When I was a little girl my mom used to make jumper dresses for me and I recall some of them fastening on top of each shoulder with a large decorative button. Some of them had straps that were all one piece and didn't need fastening; the jumper just pulled on over the head. I can't tell for certain from the text whether the onyx stones on the ephod were functional like buttons or whether they were just there for symbolic purposes.

Each of these stones bore the names of six of Jacob's (Israel's) sons. One stone said: "Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali." The other stone said: "Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin." From these twelve sons of Jacob came the twelve tribes of Israel. Every time the high priest puts on this garment he is reminded that he is representing the entire nation when he goes to the tabernacle. He is symbolically bringing all twelve tribes of Israel with him when he goes into the presence of the Lord. "Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. Make gold filigree settings and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings." (Exodus 28:11-14)

These stones must have been fairly sizable and I think the priest would have been aware of their weight upon his shoulders the whole time he was dressed in the ephod. The weight of the stones upon his shoulders would have reminded him of his great responsibility. Every time he put on the ephod and felt the weight settle upon his shoulders, he solemnly thought about the fact that as he went about his duties he was representing the entire nation. The weight of these stones served as a continual reminder that when he prayed to the Lord he was praying not only for his own sake but for the sake of every member of each of the twelve tribes. Every sacrifice and offering he dealt with was being dealt with for the nation as a whole. Every time he prayed for help and mercy he was praying for the nation as a whole. And as the Lord looked down upon him, the Lord saw the names of all twelve tribes and the Lord accepted the work and the prayers of the high priest on behalf of all twelve tribes.

Our modern pastors carry the weight of their congregations just as the high priest carried the weight of the congregation of Israel. It's an enormous responsibility. The Apostle Paul, who was one of the pillars of the early church, spoke of the weight of this responsibility when discussing all the things he had so far suffered while proclaiming the gospel, saying, "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." (2 Corinthians 11:28) A lot of pressure comes along with leading a congregation and the person who fills this role needs to maintain a solemn and reverent attitude about his serious responsibilities. The Lord intends for the high priest to feel the pressure of concern for the congregation and He designs a garment for the high priest that literally puts pressure on his shoulders.

We need to pray for our church leaders. They carry a very heavy weight day in and day out. Unless we have stood in their place I don't think we can accurately imagine what the pressure of their concern for the church must feel like. I urge you all to pray for your church pastor regularly. If you don't attend a particular church you can pray for the preacher you listen to on the radio or the preacher you watch on TV or online. You can pray for all of them, all over the world, as a whole that they will remain "strong in the Lord and in His mighty power". (Ephesians 6:10) The Apostle Paul regularly prayed for the leaders of the churches and he regularly requested prayer for himself and for other church leaders. This proves to us how vital these prayers are! These people are carrying a heavy weight and we must support them not only with our friendship and encouragement but also behind the scenes with regular prayer.